Lessons for the AAC field: a tribute to Dr. David Beukelman.

On February 5, 2022, the field of augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) lost a giant when Dr. David "Dave" Beukelman passed away. As the readership of this journal is aware, Dave was one of the principal founders of the AAC field and devoted his career to providing a voice to those without one.

Effect of a multi-level intervention on nurse-patient communication in the intensive care unit: results of the SPEACS trial.

Objective: To test the impact of two levels of intervention on communication frequency, quality, success, and ease between nurses and intubated intensive care unit (ICU) patients.

Design: Quasi-experimental, 3-phase sequential cohort study: (1) usual care, (2) basic communication skills training (BCST) for nurses, (3) additional training in augmentative and alternative communication devices and speech language pathologist consultation (AAC + SLP). Trained observers rated four 3-min video-recordings for each nurse-patient dyad for communication frequency, quality and success.

Nurse-patient communication interactions in the intensive care unit.

Background: The inability to speak during critical illness is a source of distress for patients, yet nurse-patient communication in the intensive care unit has not been systematically studied or measured.

Objectives: To describe communication interactions, methods, and assistive techniques between nurses and nonspeaking critically ill patients in the intensive care unit.

Methods: Descriptive observational study of the nonintervention/usual care cohort from a larger clinical trial of nurse-patient communication in a medical and a cardiothoracic surgical intensive care unit.

Listening to the voiceless patient: case reports in assisted communication in the intensive care unit.

Communication problems experienced by nonspeaking, critically ill patients in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) have serious implications for the physical and psychological well-being of patients and the quality of their care. These problems are most profound for those with prolonged critical illnesses who are at the highest risk of dying. Recently, speech language pathologist (SLP) services have been used to provide augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) assistance to this vulnerable group of patients, their caregivers, and medical staff.

Use of the quasi-experimental sequential cohort design in the Study of Patient-Nurse Effectiveness with Assisted Communication Strategies (SPEACS).

This paper describes a quasi-experimental three-phase sequential cohort design used in the Study of Patient-Nurse Effectiveness with Assisted Communication Strategies (SPEACS) to test two interventions to improve nurse-patient communication in the intensive care unit (ICU). The sample consists of 10 nurses and 30 nonspeaking ICU patients in each phase (total n=90 nurse-patient dyads). Observational techniques (video recording, transcription, and rating) measure nurse-patient communication performance.

Electronic voice-output communication aids for temporarily nonspeaking patients in a medical intensive care unit: a feasibility study.

Background: The inability to speak during mechanical ventilation is recognized as a terrifying and isolating experience that is related to feelings of panic, insecurity, anger, worry, fear, sleep disturbances, and stress among critically ill patients. Alternative methods of communicating with temporarily nonspeaking patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) have received little study. Although electronic voice output communication aids (VOCAs) are available for disabled children and adults, the effectiveness of VOCA systems with adult medical ICU patients who may have multisystem illness, prolonged intubation, and longer ICU stays has not been explored.